Hass hilft

German

“Hass hilft” is a campaign launched by Exit, a German group dedicated to helping former neo-Nazis far-right scene and reintegrate into society. The idea behind “Hass hilft” is that every time you see hate speech on Facebook you can comment on it with a banner from the campaign that says “Hate Helps.” For every hate-post, one euro is donated to organizations that help refugees or support people in leaving radical Nazi groups. The project raised more than 10,000 euros.

Save Sunderbans

Bengali

A campaign launched in Bangladesh to protect the Sundarbans, the world’s biggest mangrove forest. The government is planning to build two coal-based thermal power plants at the edge of the forest, which activists fear will ultimately destroy the Sundarbans due to air and water pollution, changes in water quality and increased boat traffic. Although the campaign has gained substantial support from the ordinary citizens of the country, the government looks bent on implementing its plan.

ABLOGUI

French

Ablogui, an association of Guinean bloggers, made a name for itself among the community of west African web activists when it started the “Guinée vote” project at the end of 2015. During the presidential election campaign, Ablogui sent e-observers to all corners of the country and published their reports online. The project, however, was only the most recent success for the group, which was founded in 2011 and advocates for the existence of Guinean civil society on the Web. Its campaigns address societal issues on social networks and workshops for aspiring Web activists.

Erktolia

Turkish

As described in their own words: “Erktolia is a pro-active platform which exposes and takes action against sexism in Turkey.” The name Erktolia refers to all lands under the influence of patriarchy. The site exposes sexist statements, ads and actions and launches campaigns to fight sexism.

Rumah Pemilu

Indonesian

Rumah Pemilu is an Indonesian election portal. It provides news, opinions, analysis, infographics and other information related to elections. In 2015, Indonesia implemented simultaneous direct elections for all 514 regencies/cities and 34 provinces. This portal serves as the most comprehensive resource center and provides public education materials on democracy and elections.

Stop Acid Attacks

Hindi

Stop Acid Attacks (SAA) is a campaign against acid violence in India. It serves as a bridge between survivors and society as most of the victims of this brutal crime have isolated themselves after being attacked. Due to ignorance of the government and civil society, most survivors find no hope and often live in solitude. SAA aims to research and track acid attack cases and compile data to get the actual situation of survivors. One of the results of this campaign is a cafe called “Sheroes‘ Hangout” in Agra, the city famous for the Taj Mahal. The cafe is run by acid attack victims and has given them financial and social independence.

Bez Broni

Ukrainian

The project Без броні, or “Without Armor,” is committed to helping Ukrainian soldiers readjust to civilian life. The activists manage a database with information about legal, psychological and medical initiatives offered to veterans. An interactive map helps those interested in finding help access services in their area. The activists behind the site also engage in media campaigns aimed at destroying the cliché that only the “weak” accept psychological help after war. The project, run by the NGO “Studena,” uses reports from actual soldiers.

Mamanpaz

Persian

Mamanpaz is a Tehran-based online food delivery service that offers dishes cooked for customers who prefer home cooking to cafeteria food or fast food takeaways. The founder of Mamanpaz, Tabasom Latifi said her project has helped a range of women become active in the society. The project includes everyone from well-off housewives to single mothers taking care of their families. Mamanpaz appears to be growing because of the increasing Internet usage in Iran and also a desire to eat healthy food. It is an example of a successful startup in Iran’s growing startup community.

Komanda 29

Russian

“Team 29” is a group of lawyers and volunteer legal experts defending the right to information guaranteed by Article 29 of the Russian Constitution. The group aims to continue the work of the Russian “Freedom of Information Foundation,” which has frozen its activities after being identified as a “foreign agent” by the government. “Team 29” has provided assistance in several major court cases, including the case of Svetlana Davidova, who was accused of treason to aid Ukraine and the case of a Russian activist who disclosed the work of an Internet “troll factory.”

Ana Aqra

Arabic

The campaign “I am Iraqi I read” is a story of heartwarming success. The page was started to organize public group readings in parks, squares and on the main streets of Baghdad. The idea traveled to other Iraqi cities and set a cultural trend for Iraqis to enjoy public spaces through reading. Some publishers donated thousands of books, which has made the events even more carnivalesque.

Blank Noise

English

Blank Noise started as an art action project in Bangalore, India, in 2003 to tackle the deeply entrenched, and often trivialized, problem of sexual harassment and violence against women in India’s public spaces. Founded by Jasmeen Patheja, the project bases its actions on data and testimonials from actual subjects, blends online and offline action to raise public awareness, empowers women to reclaim the right to move around safely in public and pushes for changes in attitudes and policy. Over 20 percent of the project’s volunteer are male, and Blank Noise has expanded to several cities.

Agora é que são elas

Portuguese

This campaign aims to increase women’s participation in Brazilian political debates, especially in the media. Over the course of a week, columnists gave their space in
newspapers and websites to women who used it to boost discussions on feminism, domestic violence and discrimination. What began as a one-time initiative has grown into a permanent column in a major newspaper.

Pu Zhiqiang

Chinese

Pu Zhiqiang is one of China’s most famous human rights lawyer and outspoken public intellectuals. Pu is also a prominent blogger and cyber-campaigner dedicated to pushing for social change. He, however, himself, became the target of suppression by the Chinese government. On December 22, 2015, Chinese authorities found Pu guilty of inciting ethnic hatred and picking quarrels and sentenced him to a three-year suspended sentence. Over the past decade, Pu has defended the right to freedom of expression in a number of well-known cases, including the case of artist Ai Weiwei.

14ymedio

Spanish

14 and a half is an evolution product that started as a personal adventure and is now a collective project. Yoani Sanchez’ blog Generation Y provided an impulse to the alternative blogosphere in Cuba, and it is a reference for many themes on the island. Now that blog aims to expand its range with the new 14 and a half project, which deals with the Cuban government’s more than 50-year-old monopoly on information.